Remarkable Grocery Retail with best-selling author Steve Dennis

Welcome to the The Food Professor podcast episode 25  I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!

The Food Professor is presented  by omNovos the digital customer engagement solution for grocery and restaurant marketers, helping you solve your customer’s most daunting questions:  what should I eat today? Find out how you can get personal and grow sales with omNovos at www.realcustomerengagement.com

I’m crossing the streams as they would say in Ghostbusters in this episode Sylvain with our special guest, and my “other” podcast partner from the Remarkable Retail podcast Stevse Dennis!  Top retail strategist, best selling author, and has just released the 2nd, all new updated edition of his book Remarkable Retail.

We’ll talk to Steve about what it takes for grocery retailers to compete, and some U.S. best in class examples from this Texas-based retail strategist.

But speaking of books and authors, let’s talk about your new book - Poutine Nation!  Tell us all about your journey in writing the book and what it’s about

Let’s talk about your latest research from the Agri-Foods lab; weight gain, stress - what did you discover

So it’s April almost May, I wanted to check in on how your predictions for food price inflation from the Canada’s Food Price Report were shaping up - at, ahead, worse, better than predicted?

Couple of last things…anything notable in the Federal Budget that you would comment on for the Food Industry…seems like something for everyone so I’d b e surprised if there wasn’t a little-something something…

We have a special announcement - our YouTube channel is live!
 

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Thanks again to the folks at omNovos for being our presenting sponsor!
 

If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice,  or restaurant industry.    I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!

Have a safe week everyone!

teve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption  is now available for preorder at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.

Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.  You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn. 

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.

Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. 

He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. 

Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.

With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues.

 Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.